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Star Wars: Master & Apprentice
Star Wars: Master & Apprentice
Claudia Gray | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Claudia Gray is by far, one of the best authors that Disney hired to write new canon Star Wars novels. I love Gray's characterization of Leia, and I've been waiting for a Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan novel for ages.
We see the beginning of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship, and the conflict within it. In this novel, it was revealed that Qui-Gon WAS offered a position of Jedi Master. Qui-Gon doesn't accept right away, because it would mean that he couldn't have a padawan. They both go on what is thought to be their last mission together.
Obviously, you know how it shakes out, because Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon's padawan in Phantom Menace, but it's still an interesting and deeper look into both characters.
  
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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated The Dead Don't Die (2019) in Movies

Sep 3, 2019 (Updated Sep 3, 2019)  
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror
Iggy Pop plays a coffee-addicted zombie and honestly he's never looked better. (0 more)
This was not good. Like really, really not good. I really, really wanted it to be, and perhaps my hopes were too high, because I was 100% disappointed. I don't know if it was trying too hard, or not trying hard enough. I'm as much a fan of B horror/sci-fi as anyone, but I'm not entirely sure that's what it was going for....and even if it was, it wasn't done well.

A couple of chuckles: when one of the zombies holding its phone was searching for WiFi (ha, people are zombies! see what they did there? 😐), and when they showed that Adam Driver's character's key chain was a ship from Star Wars.

My recommendation? Skip it.
  
 The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
2019 | Adventure, Drama, Family
The puppets, art, (0 more)
I grew up in the 80s and it would be fair to say I've loved the original Dark Crystal film ever since I first saw it so there was no question when we heard about the new TV series that we were going to watch it.

Although it took me a few episodes to get into thr series overall I've loved it and that feel that they've gone back to the original puppets rather than an overuse of CGI. My main problem has been similar to watching the star wars prequels in that I've been watching it with the knowledge of what will happen (based on what we know from the film) and I feel that has taken something away from my enjoyment of the characters.
  
    Galaxy Wars:Empire

    Galaxy Wars:Empire

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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    In the year 2503, humanity exhausted Earth's resources. In desperation, humanity sent their colonial...

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Back in 1977 I remember going into the original Cine Capri to see “Star Wars” with some friends. I was very young but little did I know that movie would change my life and put me on the path that I am now. Over the decades that have followed I have read the books and comics, played with the toys, played the video games, and eagerly watched any new film or television show related to the franchise.

The fact that Disney has put out a new film every years since “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is great for fans like me as those three year waits; to say nothing of the 17+ years between the Original and Prequel Trilogies were tough.

Through it all my favorite character has always been Han Solo. I do not know what it is but the brash, cocky, money loving; scoundrel who gets in and out of trouble yet does the right thing in the end has always connected with me.

So when news came that there would be a new movie based on the early years of the title characters I was excited but concerned as Harrison Ford is so iconic in that role I could not see how anyone could measure up.

Combine that with original Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller being removed from the film after shooting a significant number of weeks, there was ample concern to go around.

Fortunately for fans, Director Ron Howard has crafted a very enjoyable film as “Han Solo: A Star Wars Story” deftly combines the action, visuals, and humor that made the films cinematic legends and in doing so introduces new characters and expands the lore of the Star Wars Universe.

The film follows a young Han (Alden Ehrenreich), who hustles to survive and get off the world of Corrilia.

Han like many kids on the street pull all sorts of scams under the control of various criminals and he plots to escape with his friend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke).

When an opportunity arises, Han takes it, but finds himself in the Imperial Navy which does not bode well for a person with strong opinions and a mind of his own.

Fate steps in once again and introduces Han to Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), and a mentor figure in the form of a man named Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Han attempts to prove himself to his new crew as he sees this as his way out to a better life. However with things take a turn for the worse, he must work with his new associates to clear the slate with a deadly crime boss named Dry’den Vos (Paul Bettany).

As anyone who follows the series knows Han has a way of escalating a situation and this leads the crew to recruiting Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), into the crew as they set off to pull off a risky and dangerous mission to get the much needed resources to save their lives.

What follows is a very enjoyable film that has an appropriate amount of humor and character building as well as plenty of good action and effects which should keep fans of the series happy. The new characters were very enjoyable and added a new depth to Han as well as the Star Wars mythos but what really impressed me was that at no time did I find myself comparing Ehrenreich to Harrison Ford. He was charismatic and enjoyable in the role and I easily believed that this was Han before life, the universe, and circumstances turned him into the man we would know years later.

Glover is uncanny with his version of Lando and he at times almost sounded like Billy Dee Williams and had many of the mannerisms of the character down His back and forth with Han was great to see and we got a much deeper understand of both the characters and their complicated history with one another.

Clark and Harrelson round things out well as they provide a great balance to Han. One is a mentor and one is the link to the life he had and the dreams he wants to achieve. Ron Howard moves things along well without rushing things as while it does take a bit of time getting up to speed, it happens at a natural pace without seeming rushed. Howard also does not rely on an abundance of effects to carry the film. There are plenty of practical FX and makeup creations to make you well aware that this is a vast and diverse galaxy but he uses them and the CGI to enhance the story rather than carry it.

There are numerous nods throughout to past films as well both visual and verbal and a few great surprises along the way. It is believed that more adventures of the younger Han will be coming in the future and I cannot wait for them to arrive as this was a very fun film. Now the only hard part will be the 19 month wait for Episode IX as the five month wait from the last film already seems like ages ago and I cannot wait for more.

http://sknr.net/2018/05/15/solo-a-star-wars-story/
  
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Andy K (10821 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies

Mar 2, 2019 (Updated Mar 2, 2019)  
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Last in the world to see I know
I am embarrassed to say I hadn't seen this film until just now. I can't believe I waited this long especially with my new 75" TV and my kickass sound system. I guess I was worried I was going to be severely disappointed especially considering this film's pre-release reputation.

I can't believe I heard nothing about the surprise cameo at the end. Thankful to my friend Randall for not spoiling that for me.

Since I am far down the line, I don't feel the need to sum up the plot or go into every minute detail of my likes and dislikes.

I think others who said it "connected the dots" of pieces of information you already knew but had never seen. Many have said the movie wasn't necessary and if the box office failure of this film dooms other future, more different and adventurous future Star Wars epics in the making that will be the biggest disappointment of all.

No Star Wars film will ever recapture my biking to the Marc Cinema every day for a whole week to watch The Empire Strikes Back when I was 9 and it probably shouldn't. I have to say I was thoroughly entertained while watching the film and didn't see any glaring omissions or subplots that didn't fit within the overall film arc.

The acting was all very good, especially Woody who seems like he is in every big movie these days. How can you not love seeing the Millennium Falcon streaking through the sky and the sounds of TIE Fighters in pursuit.

Maybe the film caught me on a good or forgiving day, but it was definitely far from the worst way I can spend 2 hours these days.


  
One of the biggest casualties to come out of Disney's acquisisiton of LucasArts back in 2012 was the abolition of the old 'Expanded Universe' content: suddenly, all those connected stories, comics and video-games were no longer considered in-canon; no longer relevant.

While understandable in light of their plans to create new movies (of which we have had one so far - 'The Force Awakens' - with another off-shoot to come this year in 'Rogue One') my sense is that there was a bit of a back-lash to this (hence the reason for these 'Legends Epic collections'): I'm even guilty of it myself a bit, in that I would quite have liked to see a movie based on either [a: Timothy Zahn|12479|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1215545810p2/12479.jpg]'s [b: Heir to the Empire|216443|Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398253847s/216443.jpg|1133995] trilogy, or even on any of the X-Wing books/comics.

It's those comics that comprise this collection, which consists of the following stories:

X-Wing: Rogue Leader 1-3
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Rebel Opposition (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: The Phantom Affair (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron: Battleground: Tattoine (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess (1-4)
X-Wing: Rogue Sqaudron Special
 
as well as some content from 'Star Wars Tales' #12 and #23

As this is a compilation of such, the art style is not consistent throughout (although it is consistent in-story: I found some tales to have better, clearer art than others. I'm also somewhat surprised that the left out those stories connected to Baron Soontir Fel in this collection!
  
Gaslands Refuelled
Gaslands Refuelled
2019 | Game System, Miniatures
Super cheap miniatures game (3 more)
Easy to get into
Fun rules
Unlimited modelling options
No official pre-made pre-painted miniatures (1 more)
Print off your own templates or buy from 3rd parties
A brilliantly written and illustrated book for a tabletop game of post-apocalyptic racing – fast cars with big guns – Mad Max in miniature.
It’s tons of fun and easy to play the basics straight away. After that, there is more depth to the rules to explore and building teams to keep things interesting and have long term playability. To get started, you can use templates copied and printed from the book and normal dice, or like I have done, you can get plenty of third-party companies selling templates, scenery and ‘skid’ dice.

One of the main reasons I picked this game up, apart from the raving reviews I’d seen online, was the DIY modelling aspect of the game. As a long time mini-gamer of things like Warhammer and Star Wars FFG, I’m used to my miniatures burning a big hole in my pocket. Re-modelling and repainting HotWheels cars (Super cheap – a couple of quid vs about £30 for a Star Wars ship) is the best part of this game for me, you can use standard cars if you want to, but there are no official pre-made pre-painted ‘cars’ which may be a negative, if you’re not into modelling.

Fun is the main priority and my favourite rule is that if a rule is unclear, you choose whichever option results in the most carnage for all concerned … This is ‘The Rule of Carnage’.

Highly recommended – if you want a different mini game that’s fun and won’t break the bank, check this out!